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The Arsenic trioxide Lewis structure is central As bonded; the central As has 1 electron domains (1 lone pair), giving a tetrahedral electron-domain arrangement and a see text molecular geometry with a — bond angle. As is best described as sp3-hybridized, and Arsenic trioxide is polar because the see text shape (and/or unequal terminal atoms) prevents cancellation of the bond dipoles.
Figure 1: Lewis Structure of Arsenic trioxide (As2O3)
| Chemical Formula | As2O3 |
| CAS Number | 1327-53-3 |
| Total Valence Electrons | 28 |
| Lewis Structure | central As bonded |
| Electron-Domain Geometry | tetrahedral |
| Molecular Geometry | see text |
| Hybridization Model | sp3 (central As) |
| Bond Angle | — |
| Polarity | Polar molecule |
The As oxide Arsenic trioxide is a key industrial intermediate. Nonmetal oxides such as SO3 and P4O10 are acid anhydrides for sulfuric and phosphoric acid manufacture, while metal/semimetal oxides are ceramics, refractories, catalysts and pigment precursors.
To draw the Arsenic trioxide Lewis structure we first count the total valence electrons. As2O3 contains 2×5 (As) + 3×6 (O); the net charge of 0 gives a total of 28 valence electrons to place.
The central atom is As. It is the least electronegative atom capable of forming multiple bonds and is surrounded by the more electronegative terminal atom(s); hydrogen, when present, always occupies a terminal position. Electronegativity considerations place the electron density toward the terminal atom(s).
Total valence electrons = 2×5 (As) + 3×6 (O) = 28 electrons.
Place As at the center and connect each surrounding atom with a single bond, complete octets on the terminal atoms, and place any remaining electrons on the central atom. The resulting electron distribution is: central As bonded; one lone pair on As.
Counting bonding and nonbonding electrons around As therefore satisfies the octet/expanded-octet requirement for the drawn structure.
VSEPR theory states that the 1 electron domains around As arrange to minimize mutual repulsion, giving an tetrahedral electron-domain geometry.
Because 1 of these domains are lone pair(s) — and lone pairs repel more strongly than bonding pairs — the observed molecular geometry is see text; the As bond angle is set to — rather than the ideal value for the electron-domain geometry.
A useful VSEPR approximation is: lone pair–lone pair repulsion > lone pair–bonding pair repulsion > bonding pair–bonding pair repulsion. With 1 lone pair(s) on As, the lone-pair domains occupy positions that minimize overall repulsion while pushing the bonding domains (and therefore the bonded atoms) closer together.
In the conventional localized-bond model, As uses sp3 hybrid orbitals to form the 1 equivalent electron-domain directions (0 bonding + 1 lone pair).
Formal charge on central As = V − N − ½B = 5 − 2 − ½×0 = 3. The nonzero formal charge is distributed by resonance / charge separation; the drawn structure is the lowest-energy contributor.
Arsenic trioxide is polar. The see text shape prevents cancellation of the bond dipoles. The bond dipoles do not cancel, leaving a net molecular dipole, which strongly influences solvation behavior and intermolecular interactions.
The decisive structural fact is not simply that the individual bonds are polar; it is whether molecular symmetry allows their vector sum to vanish. In Arsenic trioxide the see text arrangement prevents cancellation, so a permanent dipole remains.
Interpretation consistent with standard VSEPR / molecular-geometry references.This polarity profile underpins its behavior as a solvent, reactant or process intermediate; when sourcing, specify grade and container compatibility.
| Species | Formula | Central Atom | Electron Domains | Molecular Geometry | Polarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenic trioxide | As2O3 | As | 1 | see text | Polar |
| Arsenic trifluoride | AsF3 | As | 4 | trigonal pyramidal | Polar |
Arsenic trioxide is polar. Its see text geometry (and/or unequal terminal atoms) stops the bond dipoles from cancelling.
central As bonded; one lone pair on As. It uses all 28 valence electrons and the preferred structure carries a formal charge of 3 on the central atom.
The As angle is about —. Lone-pair repulsion compresses the angle from the ideal tetrahedral value.
The conventional model is sp3. Arsenic trioxide has 1 electron domains around the central As.
The CAS number is 1327-53-3. PubChem (CID 14888) and NIST identify this with As2O3; use it to locate suppliers and database records.
Technical scope: Lewis structures, VSEPR and hybridization are model-based descriptions for chemical communication and structure prediction; actual molecular electronic structure is more accurately represented by molecular-orbital and quantum-chemical methods. Commercial grades vary substantially by supplier and intended use; CAS 1327-53-3 identifies the substance, not a universal purity specification.
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